McGonagall merely raised an eyebrow the next morning in the Common Room as her eyes landed on Terry, who was wearing one of Neville's spare red ties. She then turned to Neville for an explanation, who only shrugged helplessly. Her eyes narrowed but she didn't question it, instead indicating that Terry should stand in between Ritchie Coote and Jack Sloper as to go unnoticed. Neville sighed in relief and sent her a thankful glance before they marched down to breakfast.
"TERRENCE BOOT!" A voice roared from across the room the moment they had entered through the doors of the Great Hall. The Gryffindors jumped but Terry, as if expecting it, simply smiled and turned around. A furious Michael Corner was striding towards them, robes billowing behind him as Anthony, Padma, and Luna following in his wake.
"Yes, Mum?" Terry continued smiling as Michael stomped over until he was standing four feet away. The younger Gryffindors had quickly dispersed, sitting down at the breakfast table.
"Where were you last night?" Michael had crossed his arms and, indeed, looked like an angry mother. His eyes widened as his gaze landed on the scabbing word 'filth' present on Terry's exposed inner arm. He then turned to Seamus and saw the same wound in the same spot along with the Gryffindor's bandaged ankle. He looked between the two with a confused look on his face. "What the hell happened to you two?"
"Carrow," Terry and Seamus responded in unison. They instinctively looked towards the staff table and scowled in the direction of the cruel professor.
"He did that to you?" Padma gasped, stepping out from behind Michael. She grabbed Terry's arm and inspected the word carved into his flesh. "Filth?" She traced her finger over the word, causing Terry to jump back slightly as he pulled his arm out her grasp.
"That hurt, Pad," he complained crossly, nursing his arm.
"Sorry, it's just that it reminded me of Umbridge's blood quills."
"Yeah, that's what Carrow had us use to write lines last night," Seamus said with a nod. "Except it hurt a million times more, it was like poison shooting into your veins."
"I see that Dolores has been using her position in the Ministry to reinstate her cruel disciplinary practices," Anthony scoffed as he eyed the developing scars.
"She doesn't want us to forget her," Ginny muttered. "Like we ever could."
"The Carrows are plenty cruel anyway, they don't need Umbridge breathing down their necks to get them to inflict pain on their students, they'd do it with a smile on their faces," Seamus said, leaning on a table to take the weight off of his ankle.
"Why didn't you come home last night?" Michael asked hotly, addressing Terry once more as he ignored the conversations going on around them.
"This bloke couldn't even stand up, much less walk back to his dormitory," Terry said, nodding his head in Seamus's direction. "So I brought him there."
"Which we're utterly grateful for," Lavender said sweetly, jabbing Seamus in the side with her bony elbow.
"Utterly grateful indeed," Seamus wheezed.
"And then I stayed overnight in Gryffindor House because the halls were crawling with Slytherins," Terry said, trying not to smile in amusement at Seamus's pain.
"I told them that you were fine!" Luna bounced on the balls of her feet as she looked at Terry. "I told them that it was possible that you had been taken by a Dabberblimp. Daddy just wrote a piece on the in the Quibbler" she said, addressing the Gryffindors. Seamus snorted, only to be elbowed by Lavender once again. Neville, never one to discourage Luna's love of imaginary creatures, nodded encouragingly. "But Dabberblimps much prefer water to dry land, so I knew that you were probably with the Gryffindors.
"Good to hear. Thanks, Luna," Terry looked bemused but nevertheless accepted the hug she offered him. He then turned back to the Gryffindors and gave a little bow. "Thank you for allowing a lowly Ravenclaw to enter your house, I'm in your debt. And I hope you know that we are willing to stand by your sides in whatever you do." His housemates nodded eagerly.
"Alright, I'll expect to see you in the Room of Requirement this Wednesday night, then," Ginny said nonchalantly as she innocently twirled a piece of her fiery red hair. She and Terry smirked at each other as Anthony and Padma's eyes went wide.
"You don't mean-" Michael began to say.
"Is the DA starting back up again?" Anthony interrupted excitedly, trying and failing to keep his voice quiet. Neville gave a subtle nod and Parvati and Lavender nodded with smiles.
"Huzzah!" Michael high-fived Terry and Anthony.
Luna clapped her hands, eyes gleaming. "You reconsidered, then?" She asked Neville who nodded again. "How wonderful! I knew he'd come around." The last part was directed at Ginny.
"I did too," Ginny said with a smirk. "And it only took two days, thought you had more stamina than that, Longbottom."
"Oi!" Neville protested as Seamus let out a choking laugh.
The happy exchange stopped abruptly when the Ravenclaws suddenly froze. "What's going on here?" The Gryffindors turned and were suddenly face to face with Alecto Carrow. She bared her teeth in a similar fashion to her brother. "To your tables. Now!" When nobody chose to move, she scowled. "Move or I'll make you move." She began to roll up her sleeves and draw her long wand. That was all it took. Immediately the group split and scurried towards their designated tables. Anthony and Padma looped their arms through Luna's and she waved at Ginny and Neville as she was dragged away.
"If you ever do that again, I'll skin you alive," Neville could hear Michael mutter to Terry as he dragged him by the tie back to the Ravenclaw table.
"It's ridiculous," Seamus growled as he plopped down at the Gryffindor table. "I've never been more scared of two teachers in all my life. At least Umbridge looked nice, despite her rotten heart."
"Those Carrows need to be taught a lesson." Lavender huffed from her spot across from Seamus.
Ginny's eyes danced. "What a wonderful idea, Lavender."
Neville, Parvati, and Lavender all shot Ginny worried looks. "Don't you dare…" Neville began but was interrupted by Seamus.
"I was thinking the exact same thing, Weasley."
Parvati kicked him under the table. "Hush! We aren't supposed to be encouraging anything dangerous, remember?"
Ginny and Seamus look at each other and shrugged. "It was Lavender's idea."
Lavender's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. "No, it very well was NOT Lavender's idea-" She immediately protested in a squeaky voice.
"So how're we going to get the word out?" Ginny leaned across the table and rested her chin in her laced fingers, ignoring Lavender's griping.
Neville shrugged. "All of the original members minus the Hufflepuffs know that the DA is back. All we need to do is get the word out to them which won't be too hard since there's only four of them."
"Three," Lavender immediately jumped in to correct him. "That Zacharias Smith won't want to be within ten feet of the DA, trust me."
"That's straight facts right there," Seamus said with a snort.
"Alright then, we all have classes with Susan, Ernie, and Hannah so we'll just pass each of them a note."
"Those three are almost as close as Harry, Ron, and Hermione's little trio," Lavender supplied, cutting Neville off. "One note will do, they'll go running and share it with each other the moment they receive it."
"Good point, Lavender. We'll give the note to Ernie then," Neville said with a nod. "And once the Ravenclaws figure out the Protean Charm, we'll be good to go with the galleons and it'll be much easier. Maybe they can even alter the charm and give access to anybody with a coin."
"So we all can send messages," Parvati marveled, looking thoughtful. "That's a great idea."
"Can you talk to your sister and see if that's something possible?" Neville asked, turning to look at her.
"Absolutely," Parvati beamed and nodded eagerly. "I have no doubt in Padma's ability, she'll be able to get it done. It feels so good to be actually doing something," she said with a sigh. "Sure, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are out there making a difference but so are we, right in here in the halls of Hogwarts."
"Beautifully said, Parvati," Neville complimented her with a small smile.
A carefully crafted note written in Parvati's beautiful handwriting was slipped into a surprised Ernie Macmillan's pocket as Seamus brushed past him in the hallway the next day. The Hufflepuffs had obviously read the note, for they along with the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws were present in the Room of Requirement Wednesday night at 8 pm.
Neville looked out at the small yet eager group of original Dumbledore's Army members. Counting him, Luna and Ginny, there were thirteen of them present. Eleven seventh-years and two sixth-years. Five Gryffindors, three Hufflepuffs, five Ravenclaws. Though somewhat disappointed with the small number of original members, he was content with the array of people he had. He had heard through the grapevine that Anthony Goldstein and Terry Boot trailed behind Hermione as second and third in their class respectively, though Neville supposed they were now first and second with Hermione not present. Ginny's and Seamus, though often rash and impulsive, were some of the bravest people he had ever met. Susan and Padma, he remembered from past DA meetings, were the perfect balance of rational and quick on their feet. The DA member numbers were small at the moment, but Neville couldn't have asked for better companions.
He let out a little cough and immediately, every single pair of eyes snapped to his attention.
"Hi everybody. It's good to have all these familiar faces here in one room. A nice change from those evil professors we see every day." There was a smattering of chuckles at that comment. "But that's the thing, those Carrows really are evil."
"Hear, hear," Seamus called out, pointing at his ankle for dramatic effect despite the fact that Madame Pomfrey had healed it the previous day.
"Harry, Ron, and Hermione, as you can see, aren't here. I'm sure you've heard rumors about their whereabouts and you probably know as much as we do."
"I knew those three were vacationing in Florence!" Michael said, snapping his fingers. "You lot owe me twenty sickles," he said to Anthony and Terry with a fake look of smugness on his face.
"Weren't you the one that was in Italy this summer, Corner?" Ginny immediately countered.
"She's got you there, mate," Terry said with a chuckle, nudging a scowling Michael.
"Wherever those three may be," Neville interrupted with a chuckle. "One thing's for certain, they sure as hell aren't here."
"Did they really break into the Ministry?" Padma asked as all eyes fell on Ginny for the answer.
Ginny shrugged, recalling the headline of the Daily Prophet that morning. "I wouldn't be surprised if he had."
"Wicked," Michael nodded in approval.
"The point is," Neville cut in, "they aren't here. I know it feels wrong without them, but it's important, now more than ever, that we continue the legacy they left behind: Dumbledore's Army. It's not safe here, and I think that nearly every student in the castle knows it. I want us to give them hope, I want us to protect them and make them feel safe."
"Those Carrows are going to pay!" Ginny pounded her fist in her palm. She was met with a scattering of cheers.
"What Ginny means to say," Neville shot a pointed look at her, "is that the Carrows are bad news. And let's just say that karma's a bitch."
"What goes around comes around," Luna added, her voice devoid of its usual ditsy drawl.
"So what's the plan, then?" Ernie asked, a hint of skepticism in his voice. "Are you saying that we should just launch ourselves at the Carrows, ready to fight?"
"Why, are you scared, Macmillan?" Seamus taunted the Hufflepuff.
Ernie turned a deep shade of maroon that made his blonde hair stand out. "No, I'm not. I just think that there are other ways of opposing this foul system that doesn't require us jumping into the fray."
"Sounds like cowardice to me," Seamus said with a shrug, causing Neville to facepalm. "Where were you on the Hogwarts train the other day, eh? I didn't see you fighting off any Death Eaters."
"That's because he was inside a compartment protecting some younger students," Hannah said in a raised voice, immediately jumping into the conversation to defend Ernie. She was met with surprised looks and huffed. "Yeah, I learned how to use my voice over the summer, all right? And bravery isn't a trait that's found only in Gryffindor, Finnegan."
"Nobody is questioning the bravery of the Hufflepuffs," Neville quickly said, glaring at Seamus. "Except for Seamus, I guess. And to answer your question Ernie, no, there will be no attacking any professors. I don't want to see heroics, I want us to get our job done."
"And what's our job, do tell?" Michael leaned forward, lacing his finger together in anticipation.
"Recruitment." That one word was all it took to make everybody's jaw drop as if it was the last thing they thought Neville would say.
"Meaning?" Padma asked expectantly when Neville didn't continue.
"We need to recruit more students. There's a war going on out there and we need to teach them how to defend themselves, whether they plan to jump into the war or not."
"There are lots of students who want to join." Luna piped up from her spot next to an eager Ginny. "I've heard some of the younger Ravenclaws discussing it."
"Shouldn't we be keeping the younger students out of trouble, though?" Parvati asked the question as she raised her hand.
"Absolutely. I don't want anyone younger than fourteen participating. Fourth years and up only." Neville said firmly.
"The little ones ain't gonna like that." Seamus chuckled as he shook his head and leaned back. "They're feisty."
"In regards to the younger ones, we're keeping them as far away from danger as we can."
"And as far away from the Carrows, too," Anthony added, wrinkling his nose.
"The Carrows are evil, but are they really horrible enough that they'd hurt an eleven-year-old?" Lavender asked with a worried expression.
"I wouldn't put it past them," Susan muttered.
Neville nodded. "Exactly." It's our duty to protect the little ones from harm but I don't want them joining something that could get them in trouble. We need people who can defend our school. And speaking of the Carrows, I think they can already tell who their enemies are here," Neville said, shaking his head. "We've made ourselves too obvious."
"We already have a reputation." Seamus pondered, looking pleased. "Well, good. Glad to know that those bastards know we aren't gonna take any shit from them."
"They're going to come after us," Ginny said, her eyes dancing with an angry fire.
"I hope I'm right by saying that we have an advantage over them. We know the school better than they do. We have this room," he gestured to the wide room. "And between the thirteen of us, I'm sure we know many of the secret passages."
"But Snape said that he closed off the passages before the start of school," Padma objected immediately. "What use would they be if we can't really use them?"
"We could use them as hiding spots?" Hannah suggested.
"Exactly," Neville snapped his fingers. "They'd still be useful to us, just not in the traditional way."
"There's a passage behind a statue of a witch in an unused corridor near the Defense classroom. One eye. Used to lead straight to Honeydukes," Michael said with a wistful smile. "Terry and I found it fifth year and we celebrated Tony's birthday in Hogsmeade." His smile then vanished, replaced by a melancholy expression. "It's a pity that it's probably shut down."
"The witch's hump opens when you say "Dissendium." It's a tight squeeze, but you could probably stay there awhile." Anthony added helpfully.
"On the fourth floor, there's a secret room behind a mirror. It also once had a passageway leading out of the school." Hannah sounded melancholy as she spoke. "I found it in the first year when I was looking for a place to be alone. It caved in during third year, I'm not exactly sure what happened to it, probably some kind of warped magic. It could still fit a couple of people, though."
"There's the Vanishing Cabinet," Susan supplied, then made a face. "But it got destroyed, I'm sure, after Malfoy fixed it. And good riddance, too. It caused us more trouble than good." Ginny made a small noise, thinking of Bill's injuries.
"There's a loose piece of flooring on the third floor. If you slide it open, a ladder leads down to the dungeons." Luna said, softly humming. "I used it to borrow ingredients from the Potions room. Maybe it'll be of some use to us this year."
"On the fifth floor there's a statue of a medieval wizard, Gregory the Smarmy. Mike and I stumbled across it in the fourth year when we were running away from Malfoy's cronies. It's a tunnel that leads out of the school. Goes on forever, we never found an end to it." Terry supplied.
"Sounds like the three of you were quite the troublemakers," Ernie said, staring at the three Ravenclaw boys in surprise.
Michael shrugged, looking somewhat pleased. "Not gonna argue with you on that, we've had some good times. I tend to go looking for trouble, Terry tends to follow, and Tony attempts to stop us. It's a nice balance but sadly, it was the Weasley twins who got all the credit for troublemaking." Seamus, equally surprised as Ernie, gave them a look of newfound admiration.
"What can I say? Those two are legacy-makers," Ginny smirked.
"Listen, we're smarter than the Carrows. Sure, they were once students here, but we know the school better than them. This is our school that they're taking over. We can't make it so easy for them." Seamus stood up, arms spread wide.
"We're stronger when we stand together. The reality is that the Carrows are here, and they're here to stay." The corners of Ginny's mouth turned upwards. "So we might as well make their stay here as unpleasant as we can." She ignored Neville's disapproving look.
"Doesn't that defeat the purpose of staying out of trouble?" Padma raised an eyebrow.
"Defense and recruitment are our main priorities," Neville assured her. He then noticed Seamus and Ginny's disappointed expressions and sighed. "Though I suppose it would be wishful thinking to say that we avoid the Carrows completely. Some mischief here and there wouldn't hurt as long as we're discreet." He received pleased smiles from the two Gryffindors as they high-fived. "Next week we'll meet again. Same time, same place. Our goal is to spread the word that Dumbledore's Army is still alive. We want recruits, and we want them now," Neville said.
"But how are we going to spread the news?" Ernie asked the question that everyone was thinking.
Anthony snapped his fingers as his eyes lit up. "Propaganda, of course! That's how they gained recruits and support for World War II."
Padma punched his arm, causing him to let out a little squeak. "You git," she hissed. "Propaganda for a war? Come on!"
"He's not half wrong," Ginny muttered, ignoring Padma and Parvati's displeased expressions.
"So what kind of propaganda are we talking about?" Ernie asked, his eyebrows rising further and further up his forehead.
Neville gave him a half-smile. "Ever heard of graffiti?"